HomeSouth DakotaBrookings County

Brookings County, South Dakota

A shallow water table limits basements on 67% of Brookings County's mapped land, a higher share than 80% of US counties and the 2nd highest of 66 South Dakota counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 10%.

87% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 17 flood losses here since 2016. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

10%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

67%

high water table: limits basements

87%

in drought, October 13, 2026

48%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Brookings County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)9.8%
High water table (limits basements)67.3%
Septic fields very limited96.1%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.3%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)9.8%
Mapped soil514,829 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Buse10%n/a
Barnes9%20%
Poinsett7%n/a
Kranzburg7%n/a
Lamoure5%n/a
Brookings4%n/a
Moody County: 36%Lincoln County: 83%Deuel County: 71%Hamlin County: 67%Lake County: 27%Kingsbury County: 50%Pipestone County: 75%Codington County: 65%Brookings County MoodyLincolnDeuelHamlinLakeKingsburyPipestoneCodingtonBrookings
Brookings County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas SD011 (2025-09-09)

What the numbers mean here

On 67% of Brookings County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 20.03 in, 6.81 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 26.84 in.

USDA rates 96% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

87% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 35 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 8 weeks, most recently on the July 7, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse87%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

17 flood losses since 2016, $184,685 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 15.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20181
201915
20200
20210
20221
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202026.84 in
12 months to August 202620.03 in (-6.81)
202526.47 in (-0.37)
Wettest year since 18952019: 40.66 in
Driest year since 18951976: 12.80 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BROOKINGS 2 NE (4 mi away)5.5

Homes

Housing units15,179
Median year built1983
Built before 198048%
Built 2000 or later35%
Owner-occupied57%
Median value, owner-occupied$264,600
Single-family detached58%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Moody County, SD 26 mi 10% 36%
Lincoln County, MN 26 mi 13% 83%
Deuel County, SD 27 mi 13% 71%
Hamlin County, SD 28 mi 13% 67%
Lake County, SD 29 mi 30% 27%
Kingsbury County, SD 35 mi 30% 50%
Pipestone County, MN 37 mi 8% 75%
Codington County, SD 45 mi 11% 65%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 9, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status